Our Language Assistant
This year we have had the opportunity to have Sydney with us, who has done an excellent work as a Language Assistant. Don't miss what she has to say about her experience in Cadiz! 😉
IES Fuerte de Cortadura: Guide for Future Auxiliares
Logistics
One of the first things you will want to sort out when you arrive in Cádiz is finding an apartment. This may seem like a challenge, but there is one thing working in our favor. Cádiz is a hot summer vacation spot and a lot of landlords will rent out apartments for the academic year only, leaving them open to rent out for higher prices in the summer months. This is of course problematic for Gaditanos, but for you it means a lot of places become available when you want to move in in September and October. The big decision you have to make is where to live in the city: the new town or old town. Each has its advantages– you are closer to nightlife, other auxiliares and the cultural spots in the old town, but you have easier access to nicer beaches and a slightly easier commute to school in the new town. Personally, I lived in the center of the old town, but think I would have been fine living in either.
For actually searching what’s out there, use the Idealista app and Cádiz auxiliar and Facebook groups. My biggest advice is to not settle– take your time with the housing search to really find a good fit for you. I know it is stressful and you don’t want to prolong the time you are living in a hostel, hotel or wherever, but if an apartment doesn’t feel right or you have even a small concern, do not take it. This is your home away from all of your friends and family and your actual home, so you want it to be as comfortable as possible. I’d also recommend living with a Spanish speaking roommate if possible.
In my point of view, Cortadura is at the perfect location. It is still in Cádiz, Cádiz so there are multiple, frequent transportation options to get there, but as someone who lived in the center, I hardly saw students outside of school since they mostly live on the opposite side of the city. I feel the best commute option is the Cercanías system. Both the train to Jerez and the tram to Chiclana stops in Cortadura and the school is literally right next to the stop. The ride from the Cádiz train station to school is 8 minutes, so it is fast and mostly reliable. Also, Renfe offers a pass which is 10 euros for unlimited travel, and if you make at least 16 trips within the three-month period, the euros are refunded back to you, making it completely free. Another solid option is the #1 bus. On school days until 9:15 and after 13:45, the bus will stop right in front of the school. On days when you arrive later in the morning or leave earlier in the evening, the bus will stop at about a 7 minute walk away from the school. Lastly, biking would be an excellent option as there is great bike infrastructure in Cádiz and hardly any rain.
Finding community
Making friends and finding community in a new place is a daunting task for anyone, especially for someone moving to a new country with different cultural norms and primary language. Luckily, you are not alone. Making friends with other auxiliares is incredibly easy. I recommend you join the Andalucía auxiliares Facebook group, where you can then find the Cádiz auxes FB/ Whatsapp group. Meet as many people as you can and say yes to any social outing the first two or so weeks to meet everyone. You will begin to find your people. Co-auxiliar friends are very important, as they are all going through similar experiences and challenges and can remind you of home.
Making friends from non-English speaking countries is even more rewarding, but maybe more difficult. Going to Erasmus events is one way to make friends from many different countries. Attending language exchanges (there is one at Savage Bar) can also accomplish this goal, maybe even help you make Spanish friends. Even better, find friends through doing things you like, joining a sports club, delving into a hobby, volunteering.
In fact, you will have loads of free time. I recommend filling it. If you don’t find something to do here that is already in your niche, it would be a fantastic time to explore a new hobby. Cádiz is an excellent place to take a few surfing lessons. There are also a few art studios that offer classes or workshops. This year I began ceramics classes at a pottery studio in Jerez. Each Wednesday a few friends and I took the train down and spent a few hours at the studio, learning a new craft, making friends and speaking Spanish the entire time. It was an amazing way to spend my afternoons– I learned a lot, was able to find an artistic outlet and was adopted into a cozy community.
The school
Lastly, be grateful to be placed in a school like Cortadura. The students are overwhelmingly well-behaved, genuinely nice kids. The teachers are incredibly welcoming and encouraging. And the bilingual program provides a nice variety to the job. My school before Cortadura wasn’t half as nice to be honest, and I’ve been so lucky to end up here. As far as the actual teaching is concerned, always communicate with your co-teachers. Each teacher has slightly different expectations for your role, in some classes you might be leading lessons, in others you might provide more supplementary material and assist more.
When designing lessons, be sure that it is relevant, on the right English level for the group, engaging and offers variety. Introduce the topic, then teach, then give them lots of time to practice. Incorporate fun games, have both listening and speaking practice. Of course you will incorporate your original ideas, but also connect with other secondary teachers, in real life and also online (there is a FB group called ‘Auxiliares Lesson Planning Madrid– Secundaria & Adults’ that has helpful crowdsourced resources!) You will probably spend a little bit of time outside of work planning on busier weeks, but don’t work too much outside of school– that’s not what is expected of you, so use resources to your advantage!
Lastly, fear not! Yes, this is a new and unique opportunity that comes with several unique challenges, but everyone is here to help you. For example, science is not my strong suit, so having to teach anatomy and biology wasn’t super appealing to me at first, but it’s OK to learn with the students, admit you’re not an expert, try your best and ask teachers for resources and support when you need it. They’re always more than happy to help, both with school stuff and also life stuff. Give your best effort, communicate, communicate, communicate, and everything will be great. Best of luck and enjoy every little moment! It goes by faster than you realize!
If you want to reach out, my email is sydmcgov@gmail.com
As my time at IES Fuerte de la Cortadura comes to an end, I wanted to reflect on this year and thank everyone who made it so wonderful. This was my second year as a language assistant in Andalucía and I loved every minute of it. Of course, there were difficult moments and bad days, but the good times were much, much more often than the hard times.
Being a language assistant is a unique experience- I´m not quite a teacher, but I do lead lessons and activities. In some classrooms, I am there to help with pronunciation and understanding the meaning of sentences in English and in others, I guide classes through lessons or activities to reinforce material they have already learned in Spanish. I am involved in many different subjects- geography, history, art, math, biology, physical education, science and culture, and national heritage. In these classes we did anything from learning vocabulary with readings and videos to fun games like Kahoot and Jeopardy to review material before exams.
In a classroom at Cortadura, I could always expect something funny or sweet or weird (in a good way!) to happen. Throughout the year, I have kept a list on my phone of things like this that made me laugh or smile that I did not want to forget. I call this list my ‘Teaching Stories’, but it could also be named my ‘Teaching Highlights’. I thought I’d share a few here to hopefully try to show what a great experience I’ve had in this secondary school.
1. Around Christmas time, I put on some Christmas music to practice pronunciation and listening and when Mariah Carey’s song ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ came on, the ENTIRE class of 1° de la ESO began singing the song at the top of their lungs. I left that day with a huge smile on my face.
2. One day in art class, the students had to draw things that reminded them of certain emotions. One student raised her hand to call me over and said “Serena, how do you draw a dead dog?” Guess the emotion... sad! It completely caught me off guard and was so so funny.
3. Almost every time that I walk into a classroom, especially with 1° de la ESO, I have students calling ‘Hi Serena!’, waving at me, and generally seeming excited to see me, which warms my heart.
4. Ok this one is weird, but it sticks in my mind because it made me laugh uncontrollably at how odd it was. In a geography class (I won’t say which class, but I’m sure the class knows I’m talking about them), one student pulled out some biscuits, snapped them in half, and started to glue them together like Oreos. Luckily this student did not eat the glue Oreos, but it was definitely a funny moment to remember
5. For a final highlight, I am remembering a 3° de la ESO geography class when we held a climate change debate. I was so proud of this class because everyone participated (in English!) and had a good time getting into the character they played (businessmen, scientists, politicians, and environmentalists). It was entertaining to sit back and watch chaos happen (a good chaos) during the debate.
Hi there! My name is Serena Hendrickson,
and I am the Conversation Assistant this year at I.E.S. Fuerte de
Cortadura. I am from Denver, Colorado, USA, and went to university in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, USA. Denver is a city in the west of the country and is known
for the beautiful mountains (I grew up only 15-20 minutes away from the
mountains!). Milwaukee is in the Midwest of the country, right next to Lake
Michigan. Both cities are hot in the summer and cold and snowy in the winter!
I attended university at Marquette University and studied Spanish Language, Literature and Culture, and Sociology with a minor in Family Studies. I graduated in May 2020, in the midst the pandemic! I studied abroad in Madrid during university and knew that I wanted to return to Spain, especially if I could live in Andalucía. After graduating, I moved to Jaén to work as a language assistant for the 2020-2021 school year. I loved the Andalucía lifestyle and people, so I knew I wanted to stay for another year. I have always loved the ocean and had heard wonderful things about Cádiz, so I decided to try living here!
In my free time, I enjoy writing, reading, doing yoga, and exploring the city. I have also started taking surf lessons, which I’ve never done before! I also work at a language academy teaching English. Understanding and speaking more than one language is a wonderful skill, especially if one of the languages is English, because it creates many opportunities for the students and their futures.
The staff and students at Fuerte de Cortadura have all been so warm and welcoming! I always look forward to coming to the school and love working with everyone here, let’s have a great year!
Jacksonville is a large and relatively new city made up of various suburbs (residential neighborhoods). The weather and beaches are common points between Jacksonville and Cadiz, but they are completely different in history and culture, which is why I am so excited to explore Cadiz!
Visit The life of Callum: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCagyCiS5iWi8VjLRwRWvzDA
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